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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909419">Steele Double Trouble</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorahBolt56/pseuds/NorahBolt56'>NorahBolt56</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Remington Steele (TV)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>F/M</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-04-29</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-05-13</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-02 19:09:02</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>6</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>7,075</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/23909419</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/NorahBolt56/pseuds/NorahBolt56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>This fic is based on the premise that Felicia and Anna were actually identical twin sisters - they did look alike after all :) ...</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>John Morrell/Anna Simpson, Michael O'Leary/Felicia</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>2</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>11</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>1. Chapter 1</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>They were taught from an early age by their mother that men were not to be trusted and that to protect themselves they should avoid emotional attachments. She had learnt that the hard way when she was abandoned by her twin daughters’ father before they were even born. And so she raised her girls to be strong &amp; independent and to use men for their own purposes. They were to be regarded as a means to an end and nothing more.</p><p>As they grew into beautiful young women, Anna and Felicia learnt how to use their feminine wiles to get what they wanted. And they both learnt how to successfully thwart the law, albeit in slightly different ways, which reflected their respective skills and personalities.</p><p>Anna, the more serious of the two and the more scheming &amp; manipulative, favoured scams like insurance fraud and conning wealthy men into giving her whatever she asked for. She would make them fall in love with her before she fleeced them of their money or implicated them in her schemes. Then she would disappear, moving onto her next victim and adopting a new alias along the way.</p><p>Felicia on the other hand was more fun-loving, with a wicked sense of humour. Naturally more athletic than her twin, she used her gymnastic skills to become a first class cat burglar. For her it was all about the thrill of the heist and the ever present danger of being caught, not to mention the satisfaction of successfully obtaining her prize, be it jewels, rare artwork or whatever. Finders fees were also a handy source of income and as her ‘talents’ become more well known in certain circles, so did the demand for her services. She also ran the occasional con job, enjoying outsmarting gullible men.  </p><p>The two sisters kept in touch sporadically - they weren’t exactly close, ever since Anna had pretended to be Felicia with her high school boyfriend, just for the hell of it. They had had an all out cat fight after that and not long after both left home to seek their own way in the world. So their contact was mainly saved for their mutual birthday and Christmas time – a card here, a call there. Their paths very rarely crossed although they both mainly called the UK and parts of the Continent home, occasionally venturing across the seas to America.</p><p>The years passed and as they did they both had their fair share of mixed fortunes but both managed to stay one step ahead of the law. They were briefly reunited for their mother’s funeral but then went their separate ways again.  But as they trod their separate paths they had one thing in common, besides their DNA – a man who would have a profound impact on both of their lives…</p><p><br/>
<br/>
</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0002"><h2>2. Chapter 2</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“Michael darling, come back to bed,” Felicia practically purred to the dark haired man who sat at a desk in her bedroom, poring over museum blueprints. He turned towards her and flashed her a lopsided grin. “I thought you were asleep,” he stated. “I was – but I’m awake now,” she replied, her tone sultry as she got up from the bed, not bothering to wrap her robe around her.</p><p>*Michael’s* grin got even wider as his eyes travelled over her naked form. “But I’ve got to finish looking over these blueprints,” he teased her with a mischievous twinkle in his blue eyes.</p><p>“That can wait darling,” Felicia murmured as she gave him a meaningful look and walked over to him, moving into his lean yet muscular arms. “Well if you’re sure..,” he replied as he cocked an eyebrow at her. “I’m very sure,” she stated adamantly as she ran a hand over his bare chest and with her other hand grabbed the blue prints and tossed them over her shoulder with a laugh.  She then took him by the hand and led him back to her bed saying , “Now how about one of those wonderful Tibetan massages of yours…,” as she pulled him down to her. “Oh you like those eh?” he grinned with a low, throaty chuckle, as he began caressing her. “You know I do my dear,” Felicia responded with a wide smile as he began to work his magic on her.</p><p>She had had many lovers in her life, but none quite like him.  He certainly had a flair for lovemaking and his sensual repertoire was nothing short of amazing.  And yet he was still only in his mid-twenties she guessed – she’d never asked him how old he was, or for that matter if Michael O’Leary was indeed his real name. He rarely spoke of his past which suited her just fine as she wasn’t overly fond of speaking about hers either, preferring to concentrate on the here and now. And the here and now was fabulous she thought – he was not only a marvellous lover but a skilled partner in crime. She rarely worked with a partner, preferring to work alone and not have to split the spoils but there was just something about him that made her forget the rules she had made for herself.</p><p>They had tumbled into bed the first night they made each other’s acquaintance, the chemistry between them strong, and had discovered they were both in the ‘same line of work’ when they had both tried to pilfer the other’s money the next morning. “You won’t find much in there. I never carry cash – too bulky,” Michael had announced with that infuriating yet gorgeous grin, when he caught her going through his wallet.</p><p>When she had hopped in the shower sometime later she emerged to find him going through her purse. “Looking for something?” she asked as she stood in the bathroom doorway watching him with amusement, thinking to herself, ‘what’s good for the goose is good for the gander’, I guess. He shot her a sheepish look but with a devillish gleam in his gorgeous blue eyes. “The same thing you were I imagine Felicia,” he quipped. “Touche’,” she conceded with a smile as she came up to him.</p><p>“So tell me Michael.. if that is your real name, what do you do for a living?”</p><p>“Let’s just say, I acquire things for people,” he replied nonchalantly then asked her the same question with an expectant raise of his eyebrow. “Well it appears we’re in the same line of work,” she laughed as did he. “What would you say to the idea of combining our talents – we certainly make a winning combination in the bedroom, so perhaps that might continue into the professional sphere don’t you think?” Felicia proposed.</p><p>Michael thought about it for a moment or two – he didn’t know if he could trust her, but then again she didn’t know if she could trust him either and what was life without taking some risks eh? And their ‘partnership’ as it were would certainly have some fringe benefits he thought to himself as he remembered the rather enjoyable night they had spent together. “Sure why not?” he replied as they sealed the deal with a passionate kiss. He knew he wouldn’t stay around for too long anyway – pull a few jobs with her and pick up a few finders fees and enjoy celebrating their success together, but as was his way, he wouldn’t allow himself to get emotionally attached to her. They both understood they were convenient for each other – nothing more, nothing less. Their paths crossed from time to time like ships in the night, and while they certainly enjoyed each other’s company and successfully pulled off some thefts and con jobs together, they would both move on when it no longer suited their purposes to be together.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0003"><h2>3. Chapter 3</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>“So tell me Felicia what mischief have you been getting up to lately?” Anna asked her twin during their annual birthday phone call. Felicia laughed wickedly, “Oh the best kind – combining business with pleasure.”</p><p>“Oh do tell,” Anna urged her. The two often compared notes of their respective exploits -both criminal and sexual, their competitive sibling rivalry still as strong as it had ever been.</p><p>“Well I met this most incredible man – he’s proved to be an excellent partner in crime and he’s absolutely gorgeous. And the things he can do in bed..” Felicia enthused as Anna felt a little twinge of jealousy. The men she had partnered up with occasionally to pull scams and the like, were usually not that handsome and if she did allow them in her bed she was more often than not left disappointed. And the other men who she had taken as lovers on occasion, while certainly good looking, were often too self absorbed or lacking in intelligence to hold her interest for very long. To find the perfect combination of a handsome, intelligent man who was skillful both in the bedroom and on the job seemed too good to be true.</p><p>Still, if she was not having much luck in that regard herself she may as well live vicariously through her sister for a little while at least, she thought to herself. “So what’s this perfect man’s name? You know there’s no such thing by the way,” Anna reminded her of what their mother had drummed into them while they were growing up.</p><p>“His name’s Michael..Michael O’Leary. And yes of course Anna I know there’s no such thing as a perfect man, but if there was he’d be the closest thing to it,” Felicia replied as Anna sighed at her younger by four minutes sister. “If I didn’t know you better Felicia I’d say you were falling for this chap,” she stated, a hint of derision in her voice.</p><p>“Well you do know me better and that’s ridiculous,” Felicia scoffed, although as much as she didn’t want to admit it, there was a tiny part of her that felt she could very easily fall in love with him. There was just something different about him – yes he was incredibly handsome, charming and sexy, but it was more than that. He made her laugh with his quick wit, he was smart as a whip and he genuinely seemed to care about her.</p><p>Oh she was under no pretences that their relationship was anything more than one of convenience, but each time they parted ways she seemed to find it harder and harder to say goodbye. More than once she had caught herself almost admitting she felt something for him but then she would stop herself, telling herself that was ridiculous and that having true feelings for a man was a path that was fraught with danger and not one she was willing to risk. She had managed to live her life so far being self-sufficient and not allowing herself to delve too deeply into fanciful notions like feelings, let alone love. Especially not for a fellow thief and con-artist who like her, was adept at lying and moving on in the blink of an eye when things got too complicated. But the fact that her identical twin sister had picked up on it disturbed her somewhat, not that she would ever admit it to her.</p><p>“Well come on then I need details – what does this gorgeous Michael O’Leary look like then?” Anna’s voice on the other end of the phone interrupted her thoughts. A smile crossed Felicia’s face as she pictured him. “Tall, dark and handsome – with the bluest eyes I’ve ever seen,” she replied.</p><p>“Sounds yummy,” Anna said with a laugh. “Oh he is believe me,” Felicia agreed.</p><p>“So is he Irish then?” Anna asked in reference to his name.</p><p>“Truth be told I’m not sure - he never speaks about his past which is fine by me. In our profession the less you know about someone the better sometimes, as you well know,” Felicia stated.</p><p>“Oh definitely,” Anna agreed.</p><p>“He occasionally sounds like he has a bit of an Irish brogue but most of the time he has quite a refined English accent. Actually I doubt Michael O’Leary is his real name,” Felicia continued.</p><p>“So he’s quite the mystery man then?” her sister asked.</p><p>“Yes indeed he is. Adds to his allure really,” Felicia admitted with a sigh.</p><p>“Well just be careful. Remember what mother always taught us – men cannot be trusted, no matter how alluring they might be,” Anna warned her.</p><p>“Oh don’t worry about me sister dear - I know how to play the game,” Felicia assured her.</p><p>“Yes well just make sure you don’t get played,” Anna retorted as they said their farewells.</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0004"><h2>4. Chapter 4</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>A few years later, Anna found herself in Monte Carlo in a sham marriage to a conman named Raymond Merleau. They were planning a life insurance scam – Anna would fake her death and Raymond would claim on the insurance policy he’d taken out on her life, then they would split the proceeds. She didn’t entirely trust Raymond but she figured the reward was worth the risk.</p>
<p>There were however a couple of complicating factors that occurred a month or so before they were due to put their plan into action and fake her death. The first was an incredible man who she met in a casino lounge one night. A distinctive melody was being played by the band when the man who was now going by the name John Morrell walked in. He spotted her almost right away as he took a seat at the bar, then he approached her, mistaking her at first for her twin sister.</p>
<p>“Felicia? I’d heard you might be in Monte Carlo,” he greeted her with a lopsided grin as Anna looked up at the tall, dark and handsome man who stood before her, noting how blue his eyes were. As he called her Felicia she wondered if he might be the same ‘mystery man’ her sister had told her about a few years back – her certainly fit the bill. So she decided to have a little fun at her sister’s expense – if he was indeed the same man and was as talented in bed as Felicia had told her he was, she figured why should she have all the fun? It wouldn’t be the first time she had taken a man off her after all she thought to herself, remembering back to their high school days. She knew it was wicked but what harm was there? What her dear sister didn’t know wouldn’t hurt her, she justified it to herself.</p>
<p>And he was certainly gorgeous, she thought as her eyes travelled over him – he could be a very welcome distraction from Raymond, who although he certainly had his uses, could be rather overbearing at times. She knew she would have to be careful though – even though her &amp; Raymond’s ‘marriage’ was only one of convenience, he also had a jealous, possessive streak that she didn’t want to arouse, lest he expose her to the authorities.</p>
<p>“I’m sorry you must have mistaken me for someone else,” Anna replied as she gave him a smile. A look of surprised confusion crossed the man’s face. “Really? You look so much like a woman I know,” he replied. “Don’t tell me I’ve got a double out there somewhere,” Anna laughed, thinking to herself how ironic her statement was.</p>
<p>“Well it seems that way,” the blue eyed stranger replied with a chuckle of his own, amazed at her resemblance to Felicia. She’d never mentioned having a sister though, let alone a twin, although truth be told they didn’t talk much about family (or the lack of his), or their pasts.</p>
<p>“My name is Anna..Anna Simpson,” she introduced herself as her smile widened a bit. “And you are?” she asked, wondering if he was going to introduce himself as Michael O’Leary.</p>
<p>“The name’s Morrell – John Morrell,” he replied with a dazzling smile and a twinkle in his blue eyes. Thinking to himself, what are the chances Felicia would have a double, he wondered if she was also like her in other ways. With that thought in mind he figured it wouldn’t hurt to find out. “Would you like to dance?” he asked her as he nodded towards the dancefloor.</p>
<p>Anna flashed him a seductive look as she took his offered hand. “I’d love to.”</p>
<p>He led her onto the crowded dancefloor then took her into his arms. As they danced, she pressed her body against his, making her intentions very clear. “So what brings you to Monte Carlo John?” she asked. “Oh a bit of this and that - thought I might try my luck at the casino,” he quipped with a grin.</p>
<p>“And have you been lucky?” Anna asked, her voice low and husky as she linked her arms around his neck. “Not as much as I would have liked,” he stated with a rueful grin then added as he pulled her a bit closer, “But I’m thinking my luck might be about to change.”</p>
<p> </p>
<p>                        ************************************************</p>
<p>The man with no real name to call his own was at something of a low point in his life when he arrived in Monte Carlo. But he’d had enough low points in his life to know he’d eventually bounce back and move on to something better, and when that turned sour he’d move on again, as was his way. New name, new life – repeat. He thought Monte Carlo was as good a place as any to lose himself for a while and find some worthy distractions - gambling and women being top of mind for him.  And where the wealthy gathered there was always money to be made with a quick hustle or sleight of hand, he had thought to himself.</p>
<p>He guessed losing one of his old friends had something to do with his somewhat vulnerable,melancholy state – a fellow pickpocket street kid he’d known back in the day who had unfortunately hit the wrong mark and things had turned nasty for him. The news of his demise had hit him harder than he’d expected – perhaps it was the fact that if not for a few lucky strokes of fate such as his former mentor Daniel Chalmers taking him under his wing, it could have just as easily been him.</p>
<p>But he had graduated from pickpocket and petty thief long ago to an accomplished conman and master thief, plying his ’skills’ where ever the next job took him, enjoying the company of quite a few women along the way. He had always made it a rule not to get emotionally attached to any of them though – it was easier that way when he had to ‘cut and run’, often at short notice. He also never let anyone get too close - he’d learnt that from an early age.</p>
<p>But meeting Anna when he was feeling low and rather vulnerable, he had foolishly let his guard down more than he normally would have. To his surprise, in a matter of weeks he had found himself falling in love with her, well what he thought was love at any rate. He didn’t know at that point in time that he would one day find true love, but that was still some time off in the future.</p>
<p>He had first thought Anna was Felicia, his former ‘partner-in-crime' who he crossed paths with and shared a bed with from time to time. It was uncanny how much she looked like Felicia, although her hair was a different style. Some of her gestures were even similar he’d noted. But then there were some differences – she was more intense and serious than Felicia, who was always up for a laugh, and she seemed a tad more refined, hardly one to go climbing through windows or scale buildings as he had seen Felicia do on more than one occasion.</p>
<p>So when she had suggested they run away together he had, rather much to his surprise, agreed. It wasn’t like he had anything else planned after all. And maybe she could fill the empty space in his heart that had been there for as long as he could remember.</p>
<p>What he didn’t know at the time, was that as good a hustler as he was, he was being hustled - his emotions having blinded him to the truth, something he’d swore he’d never let happen.</p>
<p>Normally he would have read her body language and known she was not being honest with him, or thought to ask her where she was when she wasn’t with him. Oh she always gave him an excuse as to why she couldn’t stay the night after they’d made love or why she suddenly had to dash off in the middle of dinner, which he never thought to question. He wanted to, in fact needed to, believe that she was being honest with him and that he could trust her. In some ways he felt like he was clinging to her like a drowning man clings to a life line thrown to him. What he didn’t know then was that she was going to let him sink…</p>
<p>A few weeks later …</p>
<p>As Anna quickly rounded a street corner in an attempt to hide from Raymond she bumped into someone. “Oh I’m sorry,” she apologised quickly as she looked up into a face that was the mirror image of her own. “Felicia!” “Anna!” they both exclaimed with shock.</p>
<p>‘What on earth are you doing here??” they both asked at the same time, which being twins was a common occurrence for them when they were together.</p>
<p>“I’ve been in Monte Carlo for quite some time – why are you here?” Anna asked, a hint of irritation evident in her voice at her sister' encroaching on her turf'.</p>
<p>At that a somewhat cagey look crossed Felicia’s face. “I heard an old friend of mine was here so I decided to drop in and say hello,” she replied nonchalantly.</p>
<p>Anna’s eyes narrowed a little as she realised who her sister might be in Monte Carlo to see.</p>
<p>“Let me guess – your old ‘friend’ Michael,” Anna stated as she gave her twin a knowing look. Felicia returned the look, knowing she had little chance of hiding anything from her.</p>
<p>“And what if it is?” Felicia retorted a little defensively.</p>
<p>“Well then I’d tell you I know exactly where he is,” Anna stated triumphantly.</p>
<p>“What? How would you know that? You don’t even know him!” Felicia replied, confused.</p>
<p>With that Anna looked a little anxiously over her shoulder, fearful that Raymond would appear any minute and see the two of them together. “Let’s go somewhere we can talk privately,” she said urgently as she pulled her confused sister down a small alleyway until they came to a secluded little café.</p>
<p>“Okay Anna – what on earth is going on?!” Felicia demanded once the waitress had taken their coffee orders and left them alone. Anna then pulled a photo from her purse and handed it to her sister. “Is that Michael O’Leary?” she asked as Felicia looked at the photo of her sister sitting next to the handsome, dark haired man with the bluest eyes she had ever seen, their arms around each other. She fought to control the expression on her face as a pang of jealousy hit her. “Yes..yes that’s him. But what is he doing here..with you?” she asked, her tone accusing.</p>
<p>“Well as fate would have it, it was a case of me being in the right place at the right time. I was at one of the casinos about a month ago when he came into the lounge bar and noticed me. He actually thought I was you,” Anna replied, not bothering to hide the smug smile that crossed her face. “Oh but he’s going by the name John now.. John Morrell. And you were right - he is amazing in bed,” Anna couldn’t help baiting her as a mischievous smile crossed her face.</p>
<p>Felicia glared at her twin. “Why you…,”</p>
<p>“Now, now sister dear there’s no need for name calling. Why should you have all the fun anyway?” Anna retorted while Felicia fumed.</p>
<p>“Oh Felicia darling don’t tell me you actually thought you had any claim on him? We both know he’s not the type to be tied down,” Anna stated.</p>
<p>“No..but I saw him first,” Felica argued.</p>
<p>“Oh please – we’re not five years old! There’s no reason we can’t share him. But he can’t see you while you’re here - it would only complicate things.” Anna informed her.</p>
<p>“Oh really? And why is that?” Felicia countered, quickly getting tired of her sister trying to tell her what to do.</p>
<p>Anna sighed. “I’m in the middle of running an insurance scam.”</p>
<p>“With Michael…I mean John or whatever the blazes his name is?” Felicia asked.</p>
<p>Anna shook her head. “No..another man by the name of Raymond Merleau. We met a few months ago and he had this idea for us to enter into a sham marriage and he would take out an insurance policy on my life. Then I’ll fake my death, he collects the proceeds and we split it 50/50,” she explained.</p>
<p>“Does Michael know about this?” Felicia asked.</p>
<p>“No he doesn’t and I want to keep it that way,” Anna replied, a note of warning in her voice. “I don’t want to get him involved in order to protect him. That’s why you can’t be seen either. I’ve come to realise Raymond can be dangerous and he’ll stop at nothing to eliminate anything or anyone that complicates his plans. If he learns I have a sister he could use you as leverage against me. I would hate for anything to happen to you because of me,” she continued.</p>
<p>Felicia looked at her for a moment or two, wondering if she could believe her – it wouldn’t be the first time her sister had lied to her after all. As if reading her mind Anna added, “I know we’ve had our differences in the past but believe me Felicia I don’t want any harm to come to you.”</p>
<p>“And what about Michael? You’re just going to string him along then ‘fake your death’ and disappear out of his life?” Felicia posed the question.</p>
<p>“John,” Anna corrected her, “is a big boy – I’m sure he can handle it. Anyway, I’m sure you can help him pick up the pieces of his broken heart hmm? Now promise me you won’t ruin things for me – this scam will earn me a pretty penny and I could even swing some your way if you do as I say. Just give me another week or so then you can do what you like with your precious Michael.”</p>
<p>Felicia looked at her, her expression a mixture of disbelief and disgust. “You really are cold aren’t you Anna? Are you telling me you really feel nothing for him?”</p>
<p>“As I’ve told you before and as Mother taught us – feelings don’t put a roof over your head or food on the table, all they bring you is a whole lot of pain and trouble. You’d do well to remember that,” Anna threw back at her as she got up and stormed out, leaving Felicia to pick up the check…</p>
  </div></div>
<a name="section0005"><h2>5. Chapter 5</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>One night the following week, Anna went to hop out of the bed in a small hotel room, trying not to wake the man sleeping next to her. She dressed quietly and was almost finished when he opened one blue eye and then the other to look at her. “Where are you going Anna?” he asked as he turned on the bedside lamp.</p>
<p>“John darling – I didn’t mean to wake you,” she replied as she flashed him a smile, trying to think of an excuse so she could get out of there as soon as possible. She had a plan to carry out and nothing or no-one was going to stop her, no matter how gorgeous they might be, she thought to herself as she couldn’t help casting an appreciative eye over his naked torso.</p>
<p>“Obviously,” he stated, his tone both a little hurt and surprised. “Going somewhere?” he asked as he raised an expectant eyebrow at her. “I thought we were going away together – first thing tomorrow morning.”</p>
<p>“And we are darling – I just need to go and get a few last minute things that I thought of from my flat,” Anna explained hurriedly as she walked up to the bed and kissed him in an effort to convince him. “I’ll be back within the hour and then we can pick up where we left off – we’ve got a few hours to kill before our train leaves after all,” she added as she ran a finger down his chest and gave him a seductive look.</p>
<p>A lopsided grin crossed his face in reply. “Don’t be too long then,” he murmured as he cupped her cheek in his hand and kissed her. “Oh I won’t,” she replied as she returned the kiss, murmuring against his lips, “I can’t wait to start our new life together.”</p>
<p>“Niether can I,” *John* replied with a smile, a hopeful, earnest look in his eyes that she found hard to deal with so she averted her gaze. She gave him one last kiss then walked out the door and unbeknownst to him, out of his life…</p>
<p>He decided he better finish packing himself once she’d left – not that he had much in the way of possessions. He’d learnt to travel light over the years – a few changes of clothes, casual mostly, but he also kept a suit or two and a tux on hand to use as required. He removed his five passports from where he’d carefully hidden them and packed them, as well as some door picks and other ‘tools of his trade’.</p>
<p>Once he’d done that he flicked on the tv to occupy himself while he waited for Anna to return. He tried a few channels before finding an old movie that took his fancy, <em>‘Vertigo’, James Stewart, Kim Novak, Paramount, 1958.</em></p>
<p>Temporarily engrossed in it, he didn’t immediately notice the time that had elapsed until he realised the movie was almost over. He checked the time on the watch Daniel had given him years ago as he put it on, and saw that it was almost two hours since Anna had left. He didn’t know whether he should start to worry yet – maybe she’d got delayed somehow he reasoned to himself. But as two hours became three he started to worry a bit more – he didn’t even know where to look for her as she had always come to his hotel room rather than her flat. She’d told him she had a flat mate so if they wanted privacy it was better for her to come to him and he had accepted that. He did think it strange she hadn’t called him though – he tried to push down the panic he was starting to feel, hoping nothing had happened to her to cause her delay.</p>
<p>But there was also another emotion that was starting to rear it’s ugly head again and one he was all too familiar with. The feeling of abandonment that he had felt time and time again during his life for as long as he could remember. He hadn’t felt it for quite some time though as he had learnt to avoid situations where he would run the risk of being abandoned yet again – if you never let anyone get too close, you couldn’t be abandoned he figured. But he had let his guard down with Anna – let her get too close, and the thought that perhaps she had changed her mind about running away together was threatening to bring all his old fears and insecurities back to him.</p>
<p>He paced the floor of the room as he waited for her, all the while battling with his inner demons. Surely she couldn’t have changed her mind – she told me she loved me, wanted to be with me- he tried to convince himself.  As he checked the time on his watch for what seemed like the hundredth time he thought wryly to himself what Daniel would say if he knew he had let his guard down with a woman. He could almost see Daniel shaking his head at him and saying, “What have I told you Harry my boy, time and time again - trust no-one.  Especially a woman who you met barely a month ago and who you really know nothing about.”</p>
<p>Hating to admit Daniel may be right once again, he shook his head then threw on some clothes and decided to go looking for her rather than driving himself crazy pacing back and forth in his hotel room. He left a note at the front desk for her in case she turned up, saying he’d gone looking for her and would be back soon.</p>
<p>Not knowing her address, he decided to look for her in some of the places where they had spent time together. An intimate little restaurant where they had dined several times, the lounge bar at one of the casinos where they had first met, a gallery they had visited where he had impressed her with his knowledge of rare artworks – all to no avail. The Maitre’d at the restaurant who recognized him told him he hadn’t seen her at all that evening, the gallery was closed and the security guard he found patrolling it’s perimeter had not seen any blonde women around. When he entered the casino he thought he’d caught a glimpse of her, or someone who at least looked like her from the back, but when he went to approach the woman she disappeared into the crowded gaming room and he lost sight of her.</p>
<p>“Dammit! Where the bloody hell are you Anna?” he muttered under his breath as he left the casino and reluctantly headed back to his hotel in the vain hope that she had gone back there and he would find her waiting for him. “Any visitors or messages for me? Room 402?” he asked the desk clerk hopefully. The clerk shook his head. “No Monsieur I’m afraid not.”</p>
<p>He thanked the clerk then headed up to his empty room. He considered calling the police to report her missing but wondered if it was too soon. He decided to wait at least another hour till the sun came up which felt like one of the longest hours he had ever endured. Finally he could stand it no more – he headed out again, deciding as much as he didn’t like frequenting such establishments if he could help it, he needed to report her disappearance to the police.</p>
<p>On his way he picked up a newspaper that was printed in English from a street stand. As he skimmed the front page he felt his heart sink as he read one of the headlines which had a picture of a blonde woman underneath it who he immediately recognized as Anna, with a mixture of shock and grief.</p>
<p>“WOMAN SUSPECTED DROWNED.</p>
<p><em>A woman who has been residing in Monte Carlo for the past few months, Anna Simpson- Merleau is thought to have drowned last night after falling from a local pier. Witnesses report seeing her trip and fall off the pier into the water and not resurface. She was reported missing by her husband businessman Raymond Merleau shortly afterwards. Police divers have been unable to locate her body but the Inspector of Police has stated that it is possible given the strong tides last night, that her body washed out to sea</em>.”</p>
<p>He sank down onto a nearby bench as he felt his legs threaten to buckle underneath him, trying to make sense of it all. Anna was dead and she was married?? It was too much for him to take in as he fought to hold back his anguished tears as he felt his dreams crumble around him. As if it wasn’t hard enough to take that she had drowned, he also had to deal with the realization that she had lied to him and probably never had any intention of going away with him. Well if she did, you’ll never know now sport will you? he berated himself at being so easily taken in, at letting his emotions blind him to all the warning signs he would have normally spotted.</p>
<p>He didn’t know how long he sat there for, letting it sink in – the fact that he was alone again. And as he sat there he vowed to himself that he wouldn’t let another woman get under his skin like that, use him like that and hurt him like that.</p>
<p>Lost in his misery he didn’t notice the woman who was the spitting image of Anna, watching him from a concealed vantage point nearby. She had been shadowing him most of the night – not that he’d realised, although she thought he had spotted her at one point at the casino. She longed to go to him and comfort him but then thought better of it – it would be too difficult to explain and given her resemblance to the woman who had caused his misery she didn’t know what seeing her would do to him in the fragile state he appeared to be in. So instead Felicia turned and walked off the other way, not before murmuring, “Goodbye Michael – until we meet again”…</p>
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<a name="section0006"><h2>6. Chapter 6</h2></a>
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  <em>Roughly three years later…</em>
</p><p>Felicia walked into a women’s prison in the UK, feeling rather uncomfortable as she did so. She knew it was due to a fair degree of luck that she hadn’t ended up in one of these establishments herself given her rather illicit activities, and seeing one close up and personal just reaffirmed her commitment to never get caught.</p><p>After being subjected to the obligatory pat down and emptying out her pockets and purse, she was escorted into a room where prisoners were meeting with their visitors, overseen by several guards standing around the room.  Trying to retain her composure she took a seat at a small table then after what seemed like an eternity in this godforsaken place, she looked up to see her sister Anna being escorted in. She had been extradited to the UK after being arrested and charged in the US with the murder of Raymond Merleau. Once she’d arrived in her home country, she’d also been charged with insurance fraud, dating back to her faked death in Monte Carlo, adding more time to a sentence that would most likely see her end her days as an old woman behind bars. Unlike her twin, for Anna, her luck had run out, thanks to the man they had ‘shared’ and the woman who appeared to have done what neither of the sisters had been able to really do - capture his heart.</p><p>Felicia tried to hide her shocked look as she took in her sister’s appearance. Gone was the elegant Anna of old - her long blonde hair now tied back in an untidy ponytail, her face devoid of makeup looked haggard, a haunted look in her eyes. Her formerly glamorous clothing had been replaced by prison greens.</p><p>“Come to gloat have we Felicia?” Anna greeted her bitterly as she sat down opposite her.</p><p>“Nice to see you too Anna,” Felicia retorted sarcastically. “And to answer your question, no I’m not here to gloat but I do want you to ask you a question,” she added seriously.</p><p>“Go on then,” Anna sighed.</p><p>“How could you do it? How could you be so callous and attempt to kill him? Did he really mean that little to you?” Felicia demanded as her eyes narrowed at her twin.</p><p>A cruel, twisted laugh escaped Anna’s lips. “Oh Felicia dear don’t tell me you’re still hung up on Michael or John.. or should I say Remington Steele?” she asked condescendingly. ”He was a means to an end - nothing more, nothing less. He had become a loose end – he knew too much about my past,” she stated matter-of-factly as Felicia continued to glare at her. “Pity I didn’t get one last shag out of him though - he was amazing in bed,” she continued with a sly grin, deliberately trying to bait her sister.</p><p>Felicia however didn’t take the bait. “Oh shut up Anna. You’re pathetic you know that?!” she threw at her as Anna looked at her somewhat shocked. “You have no idea how much you hurt that man when you faked your death and left him waiting for you. You may find this hard to believe but I think he really cared about you. I followed him that night and the following morning and I saw him when he read the newspaper and found out you were supposedly dead – not to mention married. He was devastated,” Felicia informed her. “Not that it matters anymore but how did you do it – fake your death I mean?”</p><p>At that a smug half smile crossed Anna’s face. “Raymond and I hid scuba tanks under the pier – I’d learnt how to dive while in the Bahamas years ago. After I ‘fell’ into the water I got the tanks then swam out to a boat where he was waiting for me. It was an ingenious plan really – right up until Raymond betrayed me and took all the money for himself. “</p><p>“Well it’s a pity you didn’t ‘stay dead’ then – for all concerned. You wouldn’t have ended up here for a start,” Felicia stated.</p><p>“Surely you don’t wish me gone sister dear – I am your other half after all?” Anna asked, finally showing a trace of emotion, as she looked at her twin, the person who probably knew and understood her better than anyone else in the world.</p><p>Felicia shook her head slowly. “You’ve been dead to me since you tried to kill Michael,” she stated coldly, her jaw clenched in anger, still refusing to call him any other name.</p><p>A hurt, shocked look momentarily crossed Anna’s face before she replaced it with an angry expression of her own, not willing to give Felicia the satisfaction of seeing her initial reaction. Not wanting her to have the last word though, Anna laughed bitterly and spat at her, “You’ll never get him you know – it’s too late. That Holt woman will never let him go and he won’t let her go either.”</p><p>At that Felicia stood up and threw at her as she walked towards the door, not willing to admit defeat just yet, “Oh we’ll see about that.”</p><p>                                                                                              THE END</p>
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